Daily calendar(commemorations, readings, fasting regulations)

Monday, November 7, 2016

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against
principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age,
against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up
the whole armour of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and
having done all, to stand” (Ephesians 6:12,13).

Greetings brother!

First I must state
as a clergyman I am not one to preach politics from the pulpit. I do not want
to isolate anyone because of political language, secular ideals, or false
promises based on a flawed worldview. I seek to be Christ-like and therefore a
unifier. This is not a cop out or the easy way out as I am sure both sides may
disagree with the conclusion; but the unifier is Christ and not utopian ideas
of fallen man. When man seeks to build a kingdom of this world devoid of the
true Christ it is destined to fall.

As a priest and an American citizen I am also disturbed by the state of this
election. In one sense it is “politics as usual”, but this election is the most
bizarre I have seen in my lifetime. One solace I have is technically the
outcome of this election will have no real effect on me either way. My body is
here, but my mind and more importantly my heart are elsewhere.

We are truly living
in interesting times and given the impending Presidential election about to
take place here in the United States one thing is certain; tensions are running
high. I have to admit, even though I should not be so concerned over this
election cycle, I have often had something to say about the unsavory feel of
politics as usual. Reaction based on simple emotion is something we need to be
aware of. There is a time to speak and a time to be silent.

Something I try to
remind myself continuously is both of these candidates, their staff and voters
all have something in common and should be the way we see them; they are all
created in the image of God. The end game is we must love them either way
despite their shortcomings. My sins are as many as grains of sand on all the
beaches of the world, so to hypercriticize is not a possibility with this beam
in my own eye.

Each candidate has the opportunity to lead in piety and
sobriety which in my opinion simply will not happen. They offer a false sense
of security and the illusion of utopia. Neither will deliver true peace,
prosperity, stability. If so, it will be in an earthly sense which offers none
other than a false sense of security. The hope that they propagate is hope in
the world which is none other than the passions themselves.

I guess the short answer is pray. Don’t pray simply for your
family or friends, but for all mankind; even for your enemies and those who
seek to destroy the very world we live in by their policies, greed, endless
wars, corruption, and propagation of social movements destructive to the very
soul of man.

Christ tells us, “My kingdom is not of this
world.” (John 18:36) and to trust not in the prices of this world in
whom there is no salvation.However we
must pray for them. The kingdom of God is truly at odds the kingdom of this
world and this election just re-iterates this Truth.

Take to heart the words of St.
Ignatius Brianchaninov “The wave of evil roaring out of a dark sea upon mankind
is beyond human power to stop. The best Christians can hope for is avoidance.
So do not attempt to stop it with your weak hand. Avoid it,
protect yourself from it, and that is enough for you. Get to know the
spirit of the times, study it so that you can avoid its influence whenever
possible."

Despite what goes on in the
world we must realize that we must not lose hope, be deterred from our struggle
for holiness, nor take on fights above our spiritual measure. How can we think
that we can change an entire culture or nation when we have not conquered the
very faults that weigh us down as individuals!

Politicians will always promise a better way. Worldly
utopian dreams put forth an illusion, that man is center and being of all
things. This is classical Satanism, man exalting oneself as godlike, where soul
destroying narcissism dominate the person; the created trying to mimic the
Creator. This false specter is alluring by cunningly replacing the peace and
tranquility of Christ, but enacts egoism, the very byproduct of pride itself.

Whether so-called left leaning or so-called right leaning I
would argue neither represent the Christian identity or the hope and healing
that needs to occur in the nation. It is hard to classify a group as a whole
because there are varying degrees of “liberalism” and “conservatism” within
party lines, so the terms “Republican” and “Democrat” are almost obsolete in my
opinion.

Classical liberalism, which seeks to maximize human freedom,
is not based on the firm foundation of faith. This freedom, which is not
Christocentric, but man-centered, has man as the center of all being. Thus
rooted in the realm of the bestial passions it promotes the exaltation of self
and eventually self-deification (self-worship). The concept of synergy, mutual
cooperation between man and God, is foreign to such a consciousness.

Liberalism, as a philosophy and political movement, has
therefore has grown from its rebellious infancy culminating into complete
diabolical anarchy. Whether hijacked or its logical outcome over time, things
have gone off the rails. Its adherents, now proponents of a statist form of
government in which the governing bodies yield power and influence over the
people, have taken a supposed exalted philosophy and have devolved into utter
chaos. The radical political and social left have instead sought to limit various
freedoms under the guise of safety, equality, fairness, and false promises of
utopian dreams. The dignity of the individual is forsaken for subservience to
the state and its ideals which are contrary to the individual freedom, dignity
and humanness. Under the guise of tolerance, the true face of intolerance is
revealed. In a supposed sea of beliefs that are deemed co-equal on the surface,
non-conformity to its blasphemous principles are considered anathema. One must
assimilate into its vein philosophy, not only tolerating its diabolical
excesses, but one must also affirm and propagate its spread.

Remember, free will, an absolute gift and something we
cherish, can be utilized for sanctification or destruction; the choice is inevitably
ours. In a tug of war for our allegiance try to focus on the cross of Christ.

In salvation history we have the example of Saint John the
Baptist, the Forerunner, who brought about the good news of the coming of
Christ. Likewise apostasy, the “spirit of Antichrist”, has its own forerunner;
anything and everything that is diametrically opposed to Christ. It appeals to
itching ears and is far reaching into all facets of the human experience. Vein
philosophers, advocates of unhealthy aspects of pop culture, false manmade religions,
melding of various so-called spiritualties which are ever present and fill many
things via the occult new age movement.

Further, the notion that “democratic socialism” will save us
is yet another appeal to the whims of man to foster in unattainable utopian
dreams. Socialism is an enslavement of the mind, soul and spirit to an ideal,
where man is not fighting against unhealthy passions, but instead cultivates
these impulses and is subject to their control. Under the guise of freedom, equality,
compassion, fairness this diabolical philosophy brings about enslavement, deep
division, inhuman crudeness, and the extinction of freedom and the negation of
love. Societally speaking, the power of a few decimates the lives of the masses
for the sake of an ideal where man can supposedly create a utopia, but instead
man creates a hellish existence for those under its rule.

On the conservative side there is often a chiliastic
worldview which is at odds with the Christian ethos although it claims to be Christian
in origin. Add in such widespread errors as the “Gospel of prosperity” and much
of the Evangelical right falls on the opposite side of the coin of
progressives, both harboring a skewed worldview incompatible with Christ.

Despite what many would have us believe on the right, this
nation was never really a “Christian nation” and is anything but in these
present times. The modern day “west”, including the United States of America, can
now be properly categorized as post-Christian in nature. The original European settlers
here had no ties with the Apostolic Church, but were instead splits of splits. These
man-made rogue denominations of all flavors of Protestantism do not represent
the historical Church of Christ. Add in the fact that deists and those aligned
with Freemasonry where founding fathers and the so-called Christian roots of
this country become much murkier. On these false philosophical principles this
nation rose, and being anything but a spiritual firm foundation it crumbled almost
immediately. Hope in the
material, acceptance of false promises of security, prosperity, equality,
peace, acceptance and affirmation of all one’s whims under the guise of
normalcy. There is only one place where there is equality; the Church. All have
the opportunity to become partakers of the Divine nature, all are penitents,
all are called to holiness, and ultimately all are called to love.

Just as the there
are two natures in Christ, human and divine, so is the same of the Church. It
is a divine/human institution, the mystical Body of Christ, a theandric
organism, where man freely works with Almighty God who is beyond our
comprehension. We are not solely alone and this synergy is a necessity, all
works futile when done according the human spirt alone.

The worldly promise of humanization but only brings
dehumanization. There is one hope; our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. It is not
intellectual, it is not worldly, and it is not superficial. Focusing on some
reward system from a man in the sky has nothing to do with authentic
Christianity. It means true transformation, a transfiguring of the soul that it
might become what it was created to inherit; the great gift of theosis. This is
a great joy, but is only accomplished by much effort and toil…and often by
enduring much suffering. Bearing one’s cross is indeed joyful and anything but
a burden, but it is not necessary without immense trial and tribulation.

Self-deification, where an individual or their cause is the
center and being of all things, is spiritual, intellectual and often societal
suicide. The whole of creation revolves around an individual. The exaltation of
oneself to a seemingly god-like status is the height of arrogance, self-worship
and lunacy.

The world and its ways, its false morality, duplicity of
heinous lifestyles seeks to reduce man to a bestial state where the goal is not
only subjugation to the passions, but the continual feeding of these unnatural
impulses. Acquiring holiness is not even on the spiritual radar of the modern
man, who instead seeks to fulfill primal needs and excesses by any means
possible.

So-called Christian morality has been relegated to a bygone
era, even cultures which retained some semblance on Christian values have been
reduced to a mere memory of such times. Economics, philosophy, cultural
moralities, entertainment, familial relationships and the general worldview is
so skewed by darkness that it seeks to extinguish the flame of faith that was
once readily accessible to man.

The general worldview, especially in popular culture is
narcissistic, where the individual places himself or herself as the center of
all being instead of a synergetic relationship with the Divine Creator and
Physician as well symbiotic relationship with fellow man also created in the
image of God. This self-worship is the antithesis of classical Satanism, where
man is defined by his animalistic passions, their nurture and fulfillment,
equating and exalting the self above other human beings and ultimately God
Himself. It is not merely the rejection of Almighty God, but instead placing
oneself in His place as the center of all being.

From the womb our children are being bred into a world which
is a synthesis of error, falsehood and deceptive means whose end result is the
ensnarement of the precious commodity; one’s eternal soul. Foreordained morality
(which is of the mind of Christ) is replaced with ambiguity. Self-control and
the emptying of oneself is replaced with passion-filled excess.

The end game of human ambition and seeking to build a
kingdom of this world culminates in an attempt to eradicate the influence of
Almighty God. Whether sadistic personalities such as Emperor Nero, Emperor
Domitian, Emperor Valerian, Lenin or Stalin…or movements such as paganism,
Islam or militant atheism, one thing is true; the blood of the martyrs is the
seed of the church and the gates of hades will never prevail against her.
Political and religious movements come and go, attempts at complete genocide fail,
and societies and empires collapse. The world cannot eradicate the Church
because it is the mystical body of Christ.

In summary take to heart the message contained in the first
Holy Epistle of Saint Peter. We are asked to humble ourselves before Almighty
God, to be sober, watchful and vigilant because our adversary seeks our ruin.
Remain steadfast in faith and he will be unable to devour you. Protect yourself
and your family (the little church!) from all manner of deceit and most of all
never lose hope!

I am personally going to try to lay aside all earthly care,
even though I am sure I will continually fall into entrapments laid forth. I do
not want my words to sound like the proverbial fairy tale, but good will
triumph over evil. This is not a storybook ending but the promise given by
Christ Himself. The gates of hades will not prevail over the Church and His
kingdom will have no end.

Forgive my rambling and perhaps often incoherent babble. I
attempted to piece together many thoughts on the matter in a short time. I hope
this helps a bit as you seek to follow your conscience based on your desire to
follow Christ.